Shea Patterson ran for three touchdowns and passed for another and No. 20 Michigan bounced back from a lopsided loss at Wisconsin and thrashed Rutgers 52-0 in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday.
Patterson completed 17 of 23 passes for 276 yards. Christian Turner rushed for 48 yards and a score. Ronnie Bell led the receiving corps with six catches for 83 yards as Michigan (3-1, 1-1) gained its first Big Ten win of the season.
Rutgers (1-3, 0-2) was held to 152 total yards while getting shut out for the second time in conference play. Artur Sitkowski completed 17 of 24 passes for 106 yards.
The Wolverines jumped to a 24-0 lead by halftime.
Michigan fumbled on its opening possession in its first three games. This time, the Wolverines held onto the ball and scored a touchdown. They drove 80 yards in five plays, capped by Patterson's 48-yard scoring pass to Nico Collins. Patterson threw a short pass to his left and Collins raced down the sideline.
The Wolverines scored again on their next possession with the aid of a defensive holding penalty. Patterson's 21-yard pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones advanced the ball inside the Rutgers' 5-yard line. On third-and-goal, Patterson scooted to the left and scored from 2 yards out.
The Scarlet Knights drove 70 yards later in the quarter but Sitkowski was stopped for no gain on fourth down at the Wolverines' 5-yard line.
Patterson completed three passes on Michigan's next scoring drive in the second quarter. He capped that with a 4-yard run.
Jake Moody's 33-yard field goal in the final minute of the half gave the Wolverines a 24-point advantage.
Rutgers' Tre Avery fumbled the third-quarter kickoff and Michigan's Tyler Cochran recovered at the 15. Turner soon powered in from 7 yards out to give his team a 31-0 lead.
Patterson scored his third rushing touchdown on a 1-yard plunge with 2:35 remaining in the quarter.
Backup quarterback Joe Milton scored the next touchdown from a yard out early in the fourth.
--Field Level Media
Rutgers | Michigan | |
Isaih Pacheco | Player | Christian Turner |
10 | Attempts | 11 |
23 | Yards | 48 |
2.3 | Avg Yards | 4.4 |
0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
0 | Long | 0 |
Rutgers | Michigan | |
Raheem Blackshear | Player | Ronnie Bell |
7 | Receptions | 6 |
55 | Yards | 83 |
7.9 | Avg Yards | 13.8 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
0 | Long | 0 |